Zagora

The former caravan stop and oasis at the Draa river is still an important hub, nowadays more for tourist, who want to experience the desert, than for caravans which had once crossed the Sahara.

We found a lovely camping at Oasis Palmier, where we could relax under palm trees, got our washing done and did some exploring and shopping at Zagora.

On Wednesday was market day, which we visited, coming back with numerous bags with veggies, fruits and spices. Of course, we had also bought more dates than we can eat, but we will try our best, as they are very delicious, especially pared with walnuts, which we also got at the market.

Cordy hiked the Jebel Zagora, which gave great views in all directions from the top.

Around the campsite were beautiful palm groves, which produce the delicious dates we had bought at the market. Between the palms grow clover, wheat and herbs, like coriander.

Brick production
Dinner at sunset
Ksar along the river Draa

Not all the palm groves were in good shape. Did they suffer from drought or too much rain last September? Or are they just abandoned? We don’t know, but the sight of the dead palms was very sad.

Jebel Zagora and the Draa river
Village near Zagora

We had a great time in Zagora, where we also had time to ponder about how to continue. The first plan was to drive north again and explore some of the famous valleys in the mountains. The weather forecast with temperatures far below zero made us change that plan. We thought it would be better to stay in the south and enjoy the good temperatures of around 20 degrees during the day. Just the nights were a bit chilly, but not colder than 6 degrees.

We therefore decided to tackle a route through the desert, past Erg Chagaga and Lake Iriki. More next!

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